Mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets are becoming more capable of various functions based on the development of hardware, software, and accessories. One such capability is the processing of a transaction between a customer and a merchant using a mobile device. Typically, a merchant uses a mobile device and an accessory device to read information from a customer's account card and then process the transaction through a third party authorization entity. To enable transaction processing using the mobile device, a merchant will typically download software to the mobile device that is configured to communicate with the accessory device. Each accessory device may have different capabilities and different processing protocols for providing data to the mobile device. Due to the differences between accessories, a merchant would need to download different individual software for each accessory device.
Furthermore, the download software may be provided to the merchant by the third party authorization entity, resulting in the third party authorization entity providing several different software versions in order to be compatible with different accessory devices. In addition, each upgrade or change to an accessory device may require an update to the merchant's software or third party authorization entity's software in order to remain compatible. This results in constant monitoring and software updates by the merchant and the third party authorization entity. Moreover, if the third party authorization entity has transaction processing compatibility limited to a few type of accessory devices, then a merchant is equally limited in selection of an accessory device for use.
Thus, a need exists for enabling a third party authorization entity and/or merchant's transaction platform to be compatible with multiple different accessory devices and to do so using software that is not subject to potential changes in an accessory device.